Reloads for 7x65R DB

New Member

Anybody out there reloading for a doubled barrelled 7x65R, 175gn RN(Hornady). I'm struggling getting a accurate load with any speed without running into high pressure problems. 175gn RWS and 170gn Norma factory loads I have chrono'ed are in excess 2600fps but I'm having problems getting to 2400fps. Anything over 2500fps would be great. I've tried all combinations of powder and primers, at the moment I'm on 46.5 gn's of Vectan 7000 with Winchester primers and things have improved a bit, 2420fps.

I just wandered if anyone has a proven recipe they wouldn't mind sharing or can think of something I've missed or can try??

Well-Known Member

Most D/B rifles are regulated for one specific cartridge of factory manufacture so it will not be easy to get the two tubes to shoot to the same point of impact with re-loads.
What is the rifle a Side-by- side or an Over-under ?
Who is the maker ?

I used to load for one years ago with old Eley 175 grain bullets in the bottom tube and 130 grain Speers in the top barrel.
I used the old Nobel powders and Berdan primers as the original brass was not Boxer primed.

Well-Known Member

With my 7x64 I have used 55gn RL19 and Federal match primers with RWS brass. Just about reaches 2525 ft/s

However I now use 116 gn copper bullets with 55gn RL15 which chrono at 3350 ft/s and no pressure signs. As the bullet is so hard it penetrates deeper and straighter than the heavy slow std lead bullet.

New Member

Thanks for the replies, it is a S/S Merkal and it did converge at 23metres with a 175gn bullet (manufactor sent me that info and it was about right) but I have moved that out to 55metres. Also the left barrel shot 3 1/2" high at 55metres and I have sorted that out (as near as makes no difference).
So at the moment if I feed the gun a load it likes it shoots spot on with a 1 inch group using both barrels at 55 metres. The load is the problem, I could use factory loads but much refer to load my own, I use it for wild boar trips and I suppose it is like tying your own flies when salmon/trout fishing, it just seems more satisfying seeing a boar go down and you have worked out and loaded your own rounds.
So back to the experiments............

Well-Known Member

When you do your experiments change only ONE item of your load each time. ie. Primer type for example.
By juggling Primers with different BRIZANCE or basically different burning rate you can often tighten up a group.
This is the easiest item to change.

My rifle was an O/U on a Merkel action, easier to play with than a Side-by-side.

New Member

Thanks Stag1933, I experimented with changing primers before and Fed 210's came out best, I managed to get hold of some Winchester primers for my 25-06 and so I have tried them. They have tightend up the grouping quite significantly on a load I've been working on, 47 gns of TU 7000 which is giving me 2420 fps over the chrono. So I might call it a day with the load other than playing about now with the bullet seating depth. Most pigs I've shot have been inside of 40 metres so I think this round should be more than capable of doing the job.
Just for interest I put some factory Norma 170 gn Vulkan's through it, the speed was good at 2530fps but shot a 8" group at 50m. So it looks like I'll be firing the rest of them just for the cases.

Well-Known Member

New Member

Stag1933, great picture........that's the one thing I haven't done yet, taken my double out on the hill. I have played about a bit at zeroing one barrel out to 150m and made up some 160gn loads. They worked quite well, it won't be this year but maybe next I'll take it out on the hill to see what it can do!